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Friday, February 26, 2010

I have been B-U-S-Y. Crazy busy. Basically I have been nowhere near my computer...between my family being in town last weekend, and substitute teaching twice this week (those outfit posts will be later today or tomorrow), I have had to put the blog on ice for a couple of days. I have responded back to the last few posts, except the one of the review of the Devote necklace (I have read the comments, though).

I did receive an award from some of my blog friends, and to you all, I say "THANK YOU!" I will being doing that award later this weekend...I promise!

Onto this post's theme...black, white, and a dash of pink. Yep, I went a bit neutral (for me, anyhow). The first outfit I wore to go out to dinner on Tuesday night, and the second outfit is from Tuesday during the day...I wore it to bring Rex to preschool and to wear to yoga. These two outfits are very much "SAHM."

The above polyvore is for the first outfit. The second outfit has no polyvore...but if any of you have an image of the second outfit's sweatercoat/cardigan, and you could e-mail me it, I would be very grateful (I would love to have that for polyvore).

Sizes:Cardigan: Size small. This is the papaya colored Celosia cardigan. I have the honey one from this last roll-out, too. This is such a lovely cardigan...perfect shape, just the right amount of frill, and very cozy and comfortable.Top: Size small. Currently available in store, but obviously I have photographed it and put it in polyvore myself. You can use it if you are polyvore addict, too.Pants: Size 31. I am so glad I bought them one size too big, makes going out and eating yummy Mexican way easier. :) Ha.Shoes: Size 10. BTW, these shoes inspired my whole day...take a look at outfit two to see how.

And the kids...so sweet that they both wanted to be in the photo, even if they decided not to actually look at the camera.

Oh, and have you ever worn a sweater to a Mexican restaurant and ended up smelling like the food? My cardigan smelled just like fried onions, and it took two days to air the smell out!!! Oh, well, I guess that is a good price to pay for yumminess!

Sizes:Sweatercoat/Cardigan: Size small. This is the Arlington Sweatercoat made by J. Crew in the Fall of 2005 (I think that is what I read on the tag). I LOVE this cardigan. It is the PERFECT shape and fit and weight for taking the kids to preschool and enough to cover my yoga-panted butt. ;) Does anyone else own this beauty?Top: Size small.Pants: Size medium. Love Target yoga pants!Shoes: See last outfit.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Up first, before I get into my utter devotion to the (in my humble opinion) beautiful Crystal devoté necklace from J. Crew's Spring 2010 collection, I wanted to tell you all about something cool that has happened for this blog (and some of my other blog friends)...there is a very neat website devoted to shopping called become.com and it has a few blog off-shoots, including a blog called Carnival of Shopping. Every week (on a Wednesday), they write-up in their post about blogs that consumers and interested people can check out if they have specific needs and/or desires. Well, my blog and GingerSnap's blog were listed in today's blog write-up, as was Roxy's Effortless Anthropologie! YAY!!! So go check it out...I found some neat blogs by looking through their archives, and plan to keep reading so I can see what else is out there in blog-land!

Now, for the much anticipated review of the Crystal devoté necklace...aka "J. Crew's nefarious plot to make anyone who buys it look like they have spent their money stupidly." No, I just kid. But based on many (MANY) reactions to the fact that I (horror) spent near full-price on this (well 20% off) bauble...I have now renamed it for this post at least. After this post I will be calling it my "sweet starburst devotion," because that is what I am...devoted to my devoté.

So why am I devoted?

Here goes why:1. I like the retro look. The starbursts remind me of a necklace that my grandmothers would have worn in the 50s and 60s to make their outfits sing.2. I happen to think the ribbon looks fun, like a bit of spun sugar enveloping the chains and glass beads. I also know that they can easily be removed by a simple "snip, snip" of the scissors.3. The weight is not too heavy, although I can see why many would be worried about that.4. The size is lovely...can be worn with many types of necklines...like the silk tiered-cami (shown above), turtlenecks, under button-downs, etc.5. The crystal colored version is by far my fave. I can't say I can recommend the black version, as I think the black beads are very jarring in this necklace. But to each his own, and if you love the black beaded version, more power. (I am all about people enjoying what they enjoy...)

The price is a bit much, but based on all the haters of this particular bit of jewelry, I believe this will make it to the sale racks. I believe the crystal colored one will sell out first, and the black beaded version will linger.

I am glad I bought it when I did, near full price or no...I love it that much. And that is okay, because it is my neck it is on, not yours. ;) But if you love it, find it here.

And because it is me, I actually wore the necklace outside. Yes, outside. People besides my family spied the necklace. And, get this. Not one single person fell over at the fact that I wore it! No, contrarily, I got many compliments on it. Imagine.

I wore it with the outfit pictured in the polyvore set above. The tie-front cardigan is so yummy and warm, and because it was a "winter warm" day (yay), I used it as outerwear. The novelty was not lost...I miss our normal (read: not so cold) DC winters.

Sizes:Cardigan: Size Small.Top: Size 6.Pants: Size 8.Shoes: Size 9.

I did this look because I had seen a similar image in the October 2009 catalog (see the polyvore--tiny image is in there), and fell in love with how nicely the tiered cami and tie-front cardi worked together. Plus the model looked super-pretty in the outfit.

And of course, no real My Superfluities outfit post would be complete without baby CW hamming it up. And there she is...in her version of the "mommy outfit." (I did this, as an homage to the prior night's Project Runway--Thursday, February 18th, 2010 episode--seems to have worked, maybe not as "fashionista," but certainly well enough.)

You all have a great afternoon. Remember, too, that I still ADORE all of you even if you HATE the Crystal devoté necklace. But...here is my message of the day...try out the things you may think won't work...because sometimes they just might. Step out of that comfort zone. ;)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

You all (unless buried under piles of snow yourself, begging for mercy, "get me out") did notice that we had a little bit of snow these past few weeks. You may not have known this but we had to cancel my son's 3rd birthday party (originally scheduled for the 13th) because of the snow. Nanny and Pops, Mr. Dina's parents, had to reschedule their flights so that they could even see us (had they come in on the 11th, they would have had to stay with my dad...ooh, fun...in-laws, yet no kids or more importantly, grandkids).

Okay, I promise this is going somewhere. The new date for the reschedule was February 20th, which was last Saturday. Instead of being a Mardi Gras/kids' funfest, the new party just became a kids' funfest...bad juju to go and have a Mardi Gras party after Mardi Gras...wrong to mess with Lenten observances and all. (I did make a hearty--yet sort of salty and spicy, oops--gumbo this year, always make a gumbo, no matter what!)

So, and I am sure this is on all of your minds (ha)...what did dinagideon wear to her son's 3rd birthday party?

Well, I did a polyvore a few weeks ago with the new Milly dress I had gotten on (a deep discount) sale at ebay. I also sent the polyvore over to What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?, so if you see this set at her blog, you all go ahead and vote for it. (Or else the bad juju is coming your way...just kidding.) ;)

Didn't wear the heels or some of the other pieces, but I came to a close approximation.

At first, I was kind of stressed that the jacket would look terrible IRL with the dress, even though in the polyvore it looks good...but in the end, it all came together, even if it does look a bit "church-lady." (It's okay...I am not exactly sitting front row at Bryant Park in this ensemble...I am hanging with my very sweet, darling, very non-fashionista friends!!! Well, except for Summerilla and Drewablank who were able to come and hang in my 'hood for a bit...)

Sizes:Jacket: Size Petite 8.Dress: Size 8. (By the way, it is called the Milly Clover Lace Dress or something like that--there are actually small clovers in the lace overlay...and the lining is silk, feels so nice!)Tights: Medium/Tall.Shoes: Size 10.

If I was to go out on a date in this, I would have nixed the flats and worn much edgier shoes. I would have also found a different jacket or cardi as a cover-up.

Without the jacket it is so so pretty. Look at the bow at the waist. DARLING! (See why I sent it to WWEPW? Does this dress not scream "I am a neat freak guidance counselor at a school with a fantastic Glee club?)

So the party is winding down (yet I heard it continued for two hours after I left), and I switch into wearing something to go out with the very cool DC JCAs. I had a feeling the ladies all wanted to see me in my Carly dress get-up (see the photo above as a reminder of it), so I dressed just like that, except I kept the sparkly tights from the Milly dress outfit and I wore the Naturalizer boots instead (better match for the darker tights than these Metropolitan boots were).

I quote one of my good friends here..."Dina, very funky." I must have made a face (although I like funky). He then responds, "No, I like it...Funky is good."

Okay, then.

Drewablank and I mosey on out...and had a great time. For me to go further into the story would be a waste of energy, because...

Monday, February 22, 2010

I have known about this new incarnation at Boden for about two weeks now, but in some fit of ennui, or laziness, or just plain "I have a million things to do and there are not enough hours in the day," I did not blog about Johnnie B. BAD (self-proclaimed) BodenAficionada. BAD!

Okay, so here's the deal...Johnnie B. is the "teen/junior" sized Boden off-shoot. I like to look at it as another opportunity for me to spend money frivolously (but always, always on some sort of discount). There is some cute stuff over there in Johnnie B. land.

The offerings are limited, but if you have a small enough frame to pull these styles off, I say "go for it." Heck, if the 13/14 size in mini-boden fits me on top (yeah, yeah, I don't just shop at crewcuts), then I have a suspicion that the medium in the Johnnie B. will be just perfect.

Another wonderful thing for you ladies of a smaller stature (and by smaller stature I mean petite 0s--yes, I have never known that size), Johnnie B. may have something for you! (As of now there are no petites in regular Boden, and their smallest size is a US size 2.)

You all--get this--I was mentioned in Polyvore's blog in their February 19th Polyvore Love Letters-Blog Roundup. I thought, maybe, just maybe, something was up because I kept having this polyvore set of mine faved by all these random (yet incredibly sweet) people. Well, it keeps happening, so today, after the 16th fave (one of my all-time highest number of faves for a set), I clicked over to the Polyvore blog and saw that my set had been written up! (I knew to look at the blog because HeidiG. had one of her polyvore sets on the blog...it has always been my little dream to have one of my sets appear over there!)

Because I have been so insanely busy with Rex's birthday party, having Mr. Dina's parents in town, and the ever-fab DC JCA group get-together on Saturday night, this bit of "awesome" totally bypassed me!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Nanny and Pops, aka Mr. Dina's parents, are in town, so I am limited in how much time I can spend on my blog, but I will attempt to publish every day, even if I only say a few words overall (well, compared to what I normally do, anyhow).

So I woke up feeling like CRUD...I think I might have had a small virus, you know the type with headaches, aches, general malaise, ick, ick, ick.

Was totally NOT feeling the whole "dress up and look awesome for everyone," but honestly, I now feel like I HAVE to try, at least. Thanks a lot, blog.

And this is why Johnnie Boden should be crowned the king of fashion for all stay at home mommas. His spring line is FULL of bright colors, stripes, florals, and overall prettiness. I literally spent three seconds deciding on my outfit. It consists of three pieces...Boden's beautiful striped knitted boatneck, the pixie pants in black from J. Crew, and the Rivington kitten heels from J. Crew. Done. My outfit is done...just that quickly and easily.

And even better, my spirits (even if my health wasn't quite there) were LIFTED. I felt good. :) And that is priceless. SO SWAK, Johnnie. SWAK.

Knitted Boatneck from Boden. This is a cotton, wool, cashmere mix and is a nice weight for all seasons outside of summer. This is the turquoise melange stripe, and as you can tell the stripe is a citron color.

I am wearing not a stitch of makeup (well, an eensy bit of gloss), and considering how bad I felt overall, I could look a lot worse. I think this color would make a drowned rat look like a pretty little princess. Heehee. :)

I am wearing a size 10 (UK) or size 6 (US). Yes, this is a loose fit. The size 12 (UK) or size 8 (US) would have been too loose...so I am glad I went with the smaller of my two Boden sizes. Only bummer is that this means a lot of you more petite ladies might have a problem. Boden's smallest US size is 2, and that is not all that small. I guess you could get it, wash it, and then dry it in the dryer...maybe then it would be a 0?

Minor pilling by the end of the day...but I wore it ALL day. And I picked up my kids multiple times, I wore backpacks, lugged boxes, hung up clothes, nursed, etc., etc. The pilling is probably more my fault than Johnnie's. And really, this pilling is only a tiny amount if I compare it to a dream sweater from J. Crew I bought two years ago...now that is some amazing pilling. :P

Yes, next time I will untuck the pixies and wear them over the boots. If the boots had been taller, I would have been (once again), Miss Horse Hunt Country Virginia. :) (I did untuck them after I saw this pic--not about to re-photograph, I do have a life...seriously, I do!)

Sizes:Pants: Size 6.Boots: Size 10.

Okay, I fibbed. I wore a perfect fit tee in citron under the sweater, but that is because I am obsessed with making sure NO underarm antiperspirant gets on my sweaters (am I the only one who worries about this?).

Oh, and can I just SQUEAL, just a tiny little bit? Okay, here goes...

SQUUUUUUUEEEEEEEAAAAAALLLL!!!

I have a beautiful pic of me, baby CW, and Rex. Ah! Nanny, you are a good photographer. ;)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

You all ever had an ugh day? Or a meh day? Well that was me today. I fear I am just not gonna bring it fashion-wise today as much as I normally try to. Sigh. 'Tis life!

I feel like I did try to try to bring it today, but in the end, I was harder on myself than you all will probably be (well, maybe...)!

I am kind of feeling irritated, tired, fussy, antsy, blegh, etc. Sort of like Rex feels when he hasn't slept or eaten enough. Great, I am a three-year old toddler. Except I have great clothing. Heh.

Okay, 'nuff said! :) Onto the few bright spots of my day!

I FINALLY got the packages that had been sent from J. Crew over a week or so ago (some of my packages were almost three weeks late). I appreciate UPS, but by the time the packages came, I was kind of chomping at the bit to get them. :) They did all arrive, and in perfect condition...so BRAVO, UPS. BRAVO.

In the packages were two items that I will (quickly) review tonight for you...the Sunshine Peonies Perfect Shirt and the Stained Glass Drop Earrings. For perspective on when I wore them (not sure if that is even important, but still), the Sunshine Peonies was worn at night, and the Stained Glass Drop Earrings were this morning.

Sunshine Peonies Perfect Shirt--Yes, this is the button-down sister to the much talked about Sunshine Peonies Pencil Skirt. Yes, I have pre-ordered the skirt. With as much yellow and orange as I have in my wardrobe (plus my penchant for any print that is Liberty-esque in feel--and yes, I know, know, know, am very excited by Liberty for Target), I kind of feel that this Sunshine Peonies print will be a perfect addition to my spring wardrobe (or heck, even late winter wardrobe).

I took an 8 and that is my typical perfect shirt size. I could have sized to a 6, but I like knowing that if it (God forbid) ends up in the dryer, it will still fit me nicely.

The fabric is soft and thin-ish, but most perfect shirts are a bit on the whisper weight category (better for layering, I suppose).

I wore this with the Blush Pink Sateen Blazer from last spring. The blazer didn't photograph as well as I would have liked, so I am leaving those pics out, but it is a lovely combo. It could also be paired with hot pink, all yellows, all oranges, and lighter purples.

By the way, look at Miss CW coming up from behind. Didn't even realize she had done that until I was cropping the photo. Showed Mr. Dina and we both just cracked up. :)

I guess she really likes taking photos with me...she literally came running when she saw what we were doing!

Speaking of enjoying taking photos, I hammed it up for the last photo. I felt like if I felt terrible, the least I could do was try to bolster my confidence a bit with a silly shot. It actually *sort of* worked. LOL.

Sizes:Pants: 30 short.Shoes: Size 10.

Okay, see these lovely earrings? (They are different from the ones I wore with the Sunshine Peonies Perfect shirt.) They are called the Stained Glass Drop Earrings and are quite lovely. Quite lovely in a long, kind of heavy, yeah, I will only wear these for a few hours at a time lovely. They fill a whole in my jewelry collection...I have a bunch of silver long earrings, but very few golden-toned long earrings. These are the metallic blush color, but come in other lovely colors, as well.

I didn't show my face because it was one of those mornings (you know, it started bad and stayed kind of bad). :)

Oh, and here is what I wore this morning. Yes, I am one of those people who wakes UP REALLY EARLY to go to the very first Ash Wednesday mass. Part of the reason I go to the early mass is because I am (typically) more of a morning person, but also because now that I have the kids (who only go to Sunday mass), I need to go to mass at the time when Mr. Dina is still at home and can care for them while I am away.

I didn't crop my head because I had ashes on my forehead (I actually am really proud of the ashes) but because I did not take one. single. photo. with my eyes OPEN. After the fourth try, I just gave up.

CW had her eyes open...fer cute!

Sizes:Dress: Size Medium. It is by INC (Macy's brand) and gigiofca has it in yellow. Not only do we share a birthday, we share a love for pretty dresses. :)Shoes: Size 9.5.

You all have a great night.

P.S. I am doing "things" for Lent, including doing good, and giving up things, but that is between me and God, and I am sure you all understand why I am not sharing my intentions with you! ;)

Above is the polyvore. It is true, I have now worn either sequins or embellishments three times in a row. I guess I am on a one-woman mission to show the world that you can be sparkly and casual, all at the same time. Plus, it allows me to "justify" buying the ridiculous tees that J. Crew over-charges for. :)

Okay, so technically the glimmer mist tissue tee is no longer available, but it is such a lovely tee, that if it pops back, run, do not walk, to the checkout. I ended up getting it for far less than it cost originally (I believe it was $135), and that is good, because even me, Miss "I love nearly everything J. Crew makes" realized that was a dear price for a tissue tee and some pretty detailing. But since it is no longer that insane price, I believe it is a worthwhile investment. Based upon how I felt while wearing it today (and yes, I was out with the kids), I know I will wear it often...in the winter under a cardi and in the summer on its own.

The boyfriend cardi by Boden is from last fall and is delightful. It is not too long (hello, Forever cardigan) yet it is just the right length and fit to qualify as "borrowed from the boys." I bought it in yellow, but I believe it was available in a variety of colors. I definitely got it on sale, and get this (Boden's customer service is awesome, part 321), USPS LOST the original package it was in, and Boden went ahead and sent a replacement, no issues or problems, whatsoever. :) Love ya, Johnnie and co.

And finally, the Amore wash toothpicks? Well, the name says it all. It is love. I am 100% amazed at how perfectly these fit. Just the right amount of stretch to make them skinny jeans, yet in no way do they suck in and hurt while wearing them (I am looking at you, Matchsticks from postpartum days). Only one thing I wish? That the Amore's ankle length came in talls, like the twilight wash. I know it seems silly, but 28 inch inseam is not ankle on me. 30 inch is ankle on me, and while I don't think either inseam length looks bad on me, I feel the 30 will stand the test of time better. But until these puppies are deemed "dated," I will happily wear them!

Okay enough chatter from me (I thought I was supposed to be "brief").

Sizes:Cardigan: Size UK 12, or US 8 (I believe). I may have ordered a UK 10, US 6, but I am too tired to go and check. Sue me. :)Tee: Size Small.Jeans: Size 30.Shoes: Size 10.

And would you look at that? Both kids are in the pic!!! Miracles never cease. I actually love baby's pose. I sort of think she looks like me in this pic.

Close up of the tee, cardigan, and the lovely gold and crystal cluster bracelet.

You all have a great night. Sleep well. :)

P.S. The dress from yesterday was the pinwale cord Linda dress (rust color) from the Fall of 2007. I vaguely remember seeing it in Real Simple magazine (in the wool version) and swooning over it. When it went on sale in the late fall, I jumped on it. However, I couldn't wear it...was way too snug for almost TWO whole years. I am now at the point where it fits well (bit loose in the waist, but that is why I belted it). I guess good things are worth waiting for!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Hey, you all!!! As the heart on my tee professes, I want to wish each and every single one of you a "Happy Valentine's Day!" Now, I am not the biggest fan of this day...but it sure is fun to have an excuse to wear pink and red and sequins, etc., etc.

And unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know I haven't really gone anywhere for the last week, SO Valentine's Day 2010 is especially awesome because we braved our street (as of this morning still unplowed and slippery) to go out!!!

First up is my lunch outfit. Technically I should show you this second, but I really want the more "holiday" themed one first. :) The polyvore is above (and once again, my sweet set that I entered into a polyvore contest didn't win--sob, sob--just kidding, the ones that won were super-awesome).

Yes, the tee is a girl's crewcuts tee. In a size 14!!! Basically crewcuts size 14 equals a woman's size 4 or small 6. :) Yippee!!! I am now the owner of two crewcuts tees in a size 14...and they both fit very nicely. What I like best about them is that they aren't super, super long like some of J. Crew's tees. I often find that the extra length in the regular J. Crew tees hits at a weird place on my hips, and if I am not careful with the pants I choose, I can look very VERY pear-shaped. This tee hits right at my high hip, which if I had a preference, would be were all my tops would hit!

The name of the tee, btw, is the sequin heart tee. It also comes in black, and it appears that there are still size 14s available (yet they are on backorder).

The sequins in the tee are well-secured, so I have no OCD issues with them. Thank goodness. I guess they tack them on more securely when they put them on children's clothing.

Here is the tee without the cardigan. It is a very close color to my skin tone, but I think it is just a shade or two off, which helps keep it from appearing too close...that said, I prefer wearing it with a cardigan.

And here is the reason why...doesn't it look so sweet with the cardigan?

By the way, I am not trying to be all edge-y by wearing dark socks with this outfit. I was under very specific instructions from Mr. Dina not to take too long getting changed from the outfit I wore to church (see below for pic of that outfit), so to save time I wore the tights under the jeans. It doesn't look too terrible. :)

I love how baby matches but her patterns kind of clash...oh, to be 1 1/2 and not care what is in and what is out.

And this is my "festive" church outfit. :) I bought this in the fall of 2007. Does anyone know what it is called so I can try and find it for polyvore?

BTW, Rex (seen in the background!!!) was FANTASTIC at church today. It was even an extra-long sermon with the priest talking about the Bishop's Lenten Appeal for more time than is necessary at the "family (read: babies)" mass.

First up is a review of the Madewell Jigsaw Necklace. It was a "Jenna's pick" a few weeks ago, but I had no idea. I picked it on its own because it was on special for 78 dollars, and because of that was able to be part of the 20% off sale items purchase I made. Also on special? The Amore wash toothpick jeans! They are now back to their normal price of 125 dollars. I got the necklace for 55 dollars (appears to be still available, but it sells out quickly and then comes back, so keep checking if you want it) and the amore wash were around 75. Why J. Crew brought the price of the jeans back up to 125 is beyond me, but whatever. BTW, the jeans in this polyvore are the BLACK RESIN wash, and these I got for a REAL steal of a price...$41. (In store, back in December...they are on sale now, but not that low...pricing is all over the place at the Crew. Very very irritating if you ask me!)

Yeah, I could have showed you the whole outfit, but I DON'T like the photos, so this is all you all are gonna get. :)

Anyhow--the necklace is multi-stranded yet attached at the back (near the clasp), so they cannot be taken apart to be single-stranded (at least I can't do that). The color is a muted, almost brushed antiqued gold. This necklace is also surprisingly lightweight for what it looks like it should weigh.

I really think this necklace will help me "edge" out some of my sweeter looks. I would love to try this with some of those almost saccharin pieces I own from Boden. :)

I definitely do not gravitate towards things that look hard in anyway, but in the past year of running this "mommy-fashion (snort)" blog, I have realized that I need to try these harder looks more often. If I take my looks in a vacuum and seal away all my feelings, I do see that the harder looks do work with my body, face, and station in life. No, I am not going to go all Whitesnake on you all, but I do plan to try walk on the edge by accessorizing with a bit more urban looks.

Let's move to the look I am wearing tonight. It is impossible to get anywhere in the DC area tonight (traffic is miserable for EVERYONE--I am hearing of 2 hour commutes just to go five miles--YIKES), so we are going out for Rex and Mr. Dina's bday tomorrow night. Tonight we are having yummy Papa John's here. :)

The tee is the beaded starburst tee from this last Holiday season at J. Crew. I love the color, love the embellishment, but did not "full price" love it. I waited, and scored it on a popback for a pretty good price.

The flats are from Urban Outfitters and are providing the edge for this outfit. (Because Rex and Mr. Dina are so impressed by the same things that Nina Garcia would be impressed by--haha.)

Sizes:Tee: Medium. I like it a little loose. Bought it thinking I would dry it to shrink it to a small, but now I don't think I will. :)Pants: Size 8. Scout chinos are awesome for lounging.Shoes: Size 10...a little wide, but very comfy and lovely.

And the bracelet is the Tangled Treasure that I adore. Watch for that one on popback, too!

Baby is so cute! What's not? Why in the world are my glasses all askew? Huh???

Thursday, February 11, 2010

First, before I go into part two of the story that I started yesterday, I want to send a BIG HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mr. Dina. He is old today. :) (At his request, I am baking a cake, and some of you may be delighted to hear that I will be decorating it a la Mid-Century Mom.)

Second, we clearly did not lose power in this last blizzard (the one that started on Tuesday night, February 9, 2010 and not the one these posts are about). I know, I have lost count, too.

Okay, on the slog home (Monday afternoon, February 8, 2010) we didn't have to hike the entire mile back to our place. In fact, my dad and his 4WD got us to the edge of our street with no problem. That said, we still got to be pack mules (yee-haw or should I say hee-haw) for the last 1/10th of a mile...our street, still not plowed and still very deep. My dad, ever the sweety, said he would take the kids and that Mr. Dina and I could be the luggage carts.

Yippee!!! I can see that this foreign thing, dry pavement really excites Rex. God bless this neighbor. This stretch of dry pavement lasted one house...then it was back to thigh-deep snow for us adult humans and shoulder-deep snow for the rugrats. :)

Ooh, more dry pavement...this time on the other side of the street. Clearly we weren't drunk, but hop-skipping our way from side to side and back to the middle made me feel like I was. Except in my oh, so attractive puffer coat, my walk of shame is eminently more fashionable. (Haha.)

Oh, and yes, those are dirty clothes in that HUGE Target bag. Truly, truly a walk of shame.

Now isn't that nice, a place where Rex won't drown in the fresh powder. I think he saw our house and because he is (almost--tomorrow, you all) 3, the view was like something he hadn't seen in ages. Do you remember how S-L-O-W time dragged when you were a kid? To Rex, the two days we were gone are probably equal to two weeks for us adults. I am sure his only thought upon spying the house was, "My bakugan, my sweet triad sphinx bakugan!"

And with his smile, Part two is finished. There appears no need to do a part three and four (thank goodness). I look forward to getting back to the business of dressing up and being sparkly again!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

First: How I didn't lose readers this past week, I will never ever know!!! I promise the reason I was gone for so long is a good one, but every day I was sure I was losing followers left and right...I typically like to update daily, so a week off with no word, I was convinced I would have lost some of you. But no! You all stuck it out, and I even managed to gain a couple followers in the process...so woo hoo!

I will be doing this post in timeline format, oh, and yes, there are two parts to this pack mule story. Part two (provided we don't lose power--please, dear God, no more) will be tomorrow.

TIMELINE:Friday, February 5, 2010: Reports circulate that the incoming winter storm will be a doozy. We were told that if we hadn't gotten supplies to make it for days on end without power and access to anything, well, we basically had shot ourselves in the feet.

(We had gotten supplies, and thank goodness I had included D batteries in the grocery list!)

10:30 pm: Snow has been falling steadily for a while. Lots of wind and lots and lots of snow.

11:58 pm: While watching Project Runway on DVR, I hear a crack-boom, and lo and behold, the power is GONE. G-O-N-E. Mr. Dina and I furiously try to find the D batteries he had bought so we can use our awesome flashlight. They are GONE. Just like the power. Sigh.

Saturday, February 6, 2010:

12:30 am: Can't find the D batteries, but have found a small flashlight. And some candles and some matches. We can see the bathroom to go to the bathroom. Well, thank goodness.

12:35 am: I find my reading flashlight. Well, yay, I can read the book about mountain climbing in the Rockies. Just perfect...I get to spend the evening reading about blizzard conditions somewhere else. Haha.

9:00 am: Family is up. Still no power. Sadness. Rex does, though, point out where he put the D batteries...in the cabinet, of course. :P

10:30 am: Starting to get REALLY cold in the house. Children are now wearing overcoats.

12:00 pm: I take a bath. The hot water works, which is a blessing.

3:30 pm: We give up. We call my dad and let him know we have to go to a hotel for the night, possibly two (we have our aunt at my dad's--pretty tight quarters--8 people in 1500 square feet).

And now for the photographic journey (part one) of our adventures as pack mules...

4:00 pm: Goodbye, cold, frigid house. We may see you soon, or it may be weeks. You are lovely, but without power, kind of useless to us in the middle of a driving snowstorm (or two).

4:10 pm: Here is the best photo of me as a pack mule. I have CW in a Bjorn that is *supposed* to only carry up to 26 pounds. CW weighs almost 30. On my back is my backpack full of supplies for two days away from the house. The backpack weighed about 20. Yep, I was carrying 50 extra pounds of weight!!! It was like I was 9 months pregnant ALL OVER AGAIN. Good times...

4:15 pm: We made it to the end of our block. I was not the only pack mule. Mr. Dina was one, too. Rex weighs almost 40 pounds. The Vera Bradley Large Duffel filled with clothes and snacks for the kids? Almost 20. Yep, Mr. Dina got to feel what 9 months of pregnancy feels like, as well. He was a little worn out...and get this...we had to go ALL the way to the edge of the neighborhood to meet my dad...ONE MILE.

4:16 pm: You remember the crack-boom that I mentioned in the timeline? Yes, the one that shut our power off? Well, although there was THUNDERSNOW (great, great word, btw), the cause of the crack-boom was at the end of our street. TREE VERSUS POWER LINE...Tree won.

4:30 pm: Almost 75% of the way there. At about the halfway point, I gave up. I couldn't carry CW anymore. Fortunately, I was able to carry her through the really REALLY deep snow (like 30 inches), and by the point that I was done, the street had been driven on enough (not that we would drive in it, but still, thank you, drivers) so that Rex and CW could walk. This is my favorite picture from the snow...by far. So cute!

4:35 pm: One block away from RESCUE!!! Rex was beyond excited to see my dad. He liked the walk, but he is little and was starting to get worn out. Mr. Dina was carrying CW by this point.

4:45 pm: We meet up with my dad...in his 4WD. He takes us to the house I grew up in, we have a great meal (YUM!), and then he brings us to the hotel nearest our house (just in case the power comes back on in our 'hood, we could just walk home--yes, we are a bit optimistic).

10:00 pm: We are all done. We pack it up for the night, and sleep, sleep, sleep.

Sunday, January 7, 2010:Whoops, I meant February 7, 2010...it only FELT like January! ;)8:00 am: Wake up on the 18th floor of the hotel nearest our house to a sparkly, sunshine-y morning. But the sun was a farce...it was still FRIGID and very snow-covered, everywhere.

9:00 am: Still taking photos of the view. It is incredible. If we had been on the other side of the hotel, we would have some awesome views of DC. Instead, we have views of...our neighborhood, my old school (where I still substitute from time to time), a new building being constructed near our home (and is looking to be a behemoth), and 395 (also one of the major highways in the area). Go ahead and click the photo above. Based on the photo, you would NEVER be able to tell that is a major highway. I HAVE NEVER seen 395 look like that.

12:30 pm: We have checked out of the hotel, and well, what do you know? We are going to try to spend the night at my dad's, even with my aunt there. The more the merrier, right? Well, turns out there aren't enough blankets and pillows at my dad's...so we head to Target at Skyline (which is the building in the photo above) and stock up.

BTW, we hear from a neighbor who lives down the street from us (she was at the same hotel as we were) that there may not be power for an ENTIRE week. Sigh. Target becomes our refueling station.

6:00 pm: I change. I was wearing one outfit, but decided to change so that Mr. Dina wouldn't be all concerned about me wearing Colts colors (remember, Sunday was the Superbowl). (I had been wearing teal, and that was just too close for comfort.) Not that I changed into Saints' colors (keep in mind, I wasn't really thinking about what I should wear for the Superbowl when I was packing for this mini-adventure of ours)...see the polyvore above for what I did wear.

Amazingly, though, Mr. Dina HAD brought for himself an outfit with Saints' colors. Good for him. He says he wasn't even planning to do that...it just happened. Whatever...we all know that he is a budding fashionista (or fashionisto?).

7:00 pm: We look happy, but in reality, I was just along for the ride, happy to be in my childhood home, not freezing, and being able to enjoy electricity. Mr. Dina spent the next 2.5 hours freaking out...but in the end...the Saints won!

PART TWO will continue tomorrow.

Little sneak peek: We went home on Monday, January 8, 2010. It took way less time to get power restored than we thought. We still had to be like pack mules for the journey home, though, so the title sticks.

What I will not be going into in part two: This current storm...as in, holy moley...there was ANOTHER big storm...not even three days after the last storm ended!!! (And the current object of my prayers--please, please, please protect our power lines from the wind...I really do not want to have to write a My Adventures as a Pack Mule, Parts Three and Four...)

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About Me

You can find out a whole lot more about my life in "overabundance" at my blog, My Superfluities. If you are a fan of Boden, sewing, SAHM style, Teaching Style, and some pretty darn cute kids, then this may be the right blog for you. :)